There are just some things in life that I don’t understand. For instance, there are certain Facebook users who can post a status update like, “Lunch time…,” and they end up having dozens of comments. “What are you having?” “Are you going out to eat?” Or they’ll give suggestions left and right of what they think that person should eat.

How does person ‘A’ get so much interaction, no matter what they post as their Facebook status update, while person ‘B’ could post the same thing and get zero interaction?

What would the world be like if we all knew the answer to that question? It would probably cease to exist as we know it because everything revolves around Facebook status updates! Right?

I may not know the exact answer to the person ‘A’ and person ‘B’ question, but I do have some tips which will help you write more compelling Facebook status updates which will inspire others to participate.

So here we go.

Keep your status updates short, but not too short. In today’s fast paced lifestyle, most people use their mobile devices to check their Facebook accounts. Most people I interact with, which have a Facebook account, will use their mobile device 95% of the time. With that said, since most mobile device screens are much smaller than a computer screen, the short, to-the-point status updates will be more enticing and easier to read. Right around 200 to 250 characters would be a good range to be in.

Share interesting stuff. I’ve read certain status updates that go something like this, “I’m living my life on purpose and am excited for what the future brings!” That’s all good, glad to know that, but does it inspire any sort of interaction? Is there a call to action, a question or an interesting fact that they can relate to? Not really. I approach my Facebook status updates the same way I approach blogging. Educate them, offend them, entertain them, insult them, make them laugh, heck, make them cry, but never, ever bore them.

Increase your influence. If you’re writing compelling Facebook status updates which offer value, yet you’re still not getting much interaction, you may need to increase your influence by participating instead of just posting. People will be more likely to post, like and share your status updates if you are doing the same thing for theirs. It goes both ways! And don’t be too prideful to share theirs first!

Make sure your status updates are “public.” A short while ago, I was posting some great updates, yet, they had no likes or comments at all. I couldn’t figure out what the problem was. I thought my profile had been ‘de-indexed’ or something. Then, I noticed that the updates I had posted were only shared with a few people and weren’t shared publicly. Make sure, when you share an update, that it reads “Public” in the bottom right corner.

I am a frequent reader of Niel Patel’s blog over at Quicksprout, and he shared some interesting facts about the type of content people respond to most. The graph expresses what I’ve always known to be true about conversions….stories sell. People love to hear personal experiences, real life situations. It makes it real for them, and believable.

So don’t be shy. Share personal experiences. People can relate to you that way. Without giving away your social security number, credit card details and detailed information as to where your stash of jewelry is, give your Facebook friends a piece of who you really are. It works!

Also, another helpful tip I learned from Niel, the best time to post a Facebook Status update is at noon on Saturday, eastern standard time. People are hitting their lunch breaks, checking their phones and have a little free time to browse around the ole FB. Might as well put what you’ve got to say right in front of them when they’re looking!

One last thing, Facebook is a gold mine for business owners. Seriously. It is the number one website on the internet, as far as traffic. With a home business, I have made tens of thousands of dollars through my interaction with friends and acquaintances on Facebook. Treat it like the tool it is, try to integrate a few of these tips and you’ll start to have greater success!

And of course, if there’s anything I missed which works for you, I’d be glad to hear it. Leave a comment, or two!